This invention relates generally to a visor/windshield for vessels, and more particularly to a pivotal visor/windshield for vessels.
Reference to "visor/windshield" or "visor/windshield assembly" in this application, unless more specifically limited, means a device having a pane or panel to be positioned within the line of sight of a person and the pane or panel ranging from completely transparent to opaque, depending upon the desired light transmissive properties, i.e., whether the pane or panel is intended to pass both visible light and ultraviolet rays (e.g., a clear, unpigmented windshield), or whether the pane or panel is intended to attenuate or block all or part of the visible light and/or ultraviolet rays (e.g., a pigmented (but transparent) or opaque sun visor or sun shield).
Reference to "vessel" or "vessels" in this application means any type of water-going vehicle (e.g., boat, ship, cruiser, etc.).
Sun visors suitable for use in automobiles and other land-going vehicles are disclosed in the following U.S. Pat. Nos.: 2,665,166 (Roark); 3,954,297 (Link et al.); 4,248,473 (Hildebrand); 4,617,699 (Nakamura); and 4,762,358 (Levosky et al.). Some of such sun visors can be rotated from a stowed or retracted position above or to the side of a windshield, to an operative position wherein they are located in a position disposed over a portion of the windshield through which the vehicle operator looks in order to block the sun's rays from the operator's eyes.
Typically the commercially available and/or patented sun visors are specially constructed of non-standard components and are relatively complex and expensive. Moreover, while some of these prior art visors may employ structures that are suitable for use in automobiles and other land-going vehicles, they are not believed to be well suited for use on vessels, either to provide a pivotal windshield, such as might be desirable for use on a flying bridge of a sports fishing boat, or to provide a sun visor to be positioned over a portion of a windshield to attenuate or block all or part of the visible light and/or ultraviolet rays.
Thus, a need exists for a visor/windshield assembly which is easy to mount and use on vessels, easy to remove for storage, and is formed of conventional, off-the-shelf components, so that it is of simple construction and relatively low cost.